CDs:
Ellen Allien – Lism CD (Bpitch Control)
Rarely has an LP from the circle of Bpitch Control artists deviated so far from the club context as this one.
Duane Allman – Skydog: The Duane Allman Retrospective 7xCD (Rounder)
This seven-disc set, produced by Duane’s daughter Galadrielle Allman and esteemed reissue producer Bill Levenson, shows the full breadth and depth of Duane’s work, from early recordings (with Gregg) in bands such as The Escorts, Allman Joys and Hour Glass; to his studio work with Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett, Boz Scaggs, Delaney & Bonnie, Ronnie Hawkins and many others; to a live jam session with the Grateful Dead.
Alpha Rev – Bloom CD (Kirtland)
Third album from the Austin-based band fronted by songwriter Casey McPherson.
And So I Watch You From Afar – All Hail Bright Futures CD/LP+MP3 (Sargent House)
Dominated by a sunnier disposition, a positive uplift that more closely matches the euphoria the Northern Ireland trio has been instilling in audiences through their music in a live setting for the last five years.
Anthrax – Anthems CDEP (Megaforce)
Anthems features cover versions of songs originally performed by some of the band’s favorite acts including AC/DC, Rush, Thin Lizzy and others. Also included is a new remix of “Crawl,” which originally appeared on 2011’s Worship Music.
Black Pus – All My Relations CD/LP+MP3 (Thrill Jockey)
Solo project of Brian Chippendale, drummer for noise rock titans Lightning Bold and Mindflayer. His furious drumming style is ever present and instantly recognizable, but the pop element, which was explored in more contained ways on earlier solo releases, is more fully integrated.
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – Specter At The Feast CD (Vagrant)
“The bleary San Francisco fuzz-rockers originally considered making their sixth studio album a double, but evidently had the wisdom to realize that two discs’ worth of uncharacteristic downtempo melancholia would numb the listener. The 12 tracks that made the grade comprise one of BMRC’s better releases. They were written after the sudden death of their sound engineer, Michael Been – father of bassist Robert Been – and are heavy with loss” – The Guardian. Vinyl version due March 26.
Billy Bragg – Tooth & Tail CD/CD+DVD/LP (Cooking Vinyl/Essential Music)
Far from solving England’s ills, Tooth & Nail promises to reflect the uncertain times in which Brits live on a personal level. Recorded across five days with Joe Henry, guests include Greg Leisz (Bon Iver), Patrick Warren (Lana Del Rey), Jay Bellerose (Regina Spektor) and David Piltch (Ramblin’ Jack Eliot). Available in Regular and Deluxe editions. Deluxe features expanded packaging and a DVD of ten promotional videos that Billy made for his singles spanning 1986 – 2002.
Brandt Brauer Frick – Miami CD/2xLP (!K7)
New release from the German techno trio consisting of Daniel Brandt, Jan Brauer and Paul Frick. Brandt Brauer Frick have made a name for themselves producing techno without the technology using classical instruments in preference to synthesizers and computers.
Alex Calder – Time CD/LP (Captured Tracks)
A strong love for classic ‘60s/’70s guitar pop (Beach Boys, Beatles) as well as soft spots for Prince and Hall And Oates display Alex Calder’s self-proclaimed “fascination with pop music.” While his influences certainly shape his work it is his natural ear for melody and movement, which make Calder’s work both fluid and engaging. His knack and ambition both in his songwriting and production provide a solid foundation for his music to drift in an out of psychy realms.
Call Of The Void – Dragged Down A Dead End Path CD (Relapse)
Dragged Down A Dead End Path’s crust and grind elements seamlessly merge to conjure visions of grind godfathers Pig Destroyer while effortlessly treading the abrasive caustic nature of Converge’s hybrid progressive hardcore and Mastodon’s technical metal-tinged rock mastery.
Cannibal Corpse – Dead Human Collection: 25 Years of Death Metal 13xCD+LP (Metal Blade)
Released to coincide with their 25th anniversary, Dead Human Collection contains all 12 full length studio albums in a foldout case with new artwork, plus Torturing And Eviscerating Live on CD and vinyl picture disc LP, and 12”x12” graphic prints of all 13 original album covers, as well as a 2013 Cannibal Corpse calendar.
Alex Cline – For People In Sorrow CD+DVD (Cryptogramophone)
The twin brother of Wilco guitarist Nels Cline is a talented drummer, percussionist and composer in his own right. For People In Sorrow is a poignant re-imagining of the landmark composition by Roscoe Mitchell recorded live at the 2011 Angel City Jazz Festival.
Clutch – Earth Rocker CD (Weathermaker)
“Two decades and 10 albums into its career, the Maryland band has made its most straightforward hard-rock album to date. The group’s more extensive forays into the blues and jam-band territory are reined in here (save the surprisingly quiet ‘Gone Cold’ and a delightful go-go beat in ‘D.C. Sound Attack’ that works so, so well), and the result is a leaner, meaner 44 minutes, propelled by Neil Fallon’s massive Southern bellow” – NPR. Free lithograph with purchase – while supplies last!
Death Wolf – Death Wolf II: Black Armoured Death CD (Century Media)
“A cross between The Misfits and Black Sabbath.” – The Age Of Metal
Deptford Goth – Life After Defo CD/LP (Cooperative Music)
Beautifully crafted sweet synth pop, with R&B hooks ala the xx.
Simone Dinnerstein & Tift Merritt – Night CD (Sony Classical)
Pianist Simone Dinnerstein and singer/songwriter Tift Merritt join forces for the first time on a unique collaboration merging classical, folk, and rock worlds, exploring common terrain and uncovering new musical landscapes.
Dump – Superpowerless [Reissue/1993] CD/2xLP (Morr Music)
Reissue of the legendary 1993 debut album by solo project of James McNew (Yo La Tengo). Contains all that was great about the few short moons of tape-hiss: collaborations triggered not even remotely by virtuosity (had Chris Knox ever played trumpet before that afternoon?); cardboard boxes as bass drums; the victory of enthusiasm over perfection (have Half-Japanese been covered with more empathy?). Contains bonus material.
Dur-Dur Band – Volume 5 CD/LP (Awesome Tapes From Africa)
Remastered from a cassette copy source — a document of the band after establishing itself as one of the most popular bands in Mogadishu. The complex, soulful music penetrates the hiss.
Ensemble Pearl – Ensemble Pearl CD/2xLP (Drag City)
Members of Earth, Boris, sunn O))), Ghost, White Heaven, Jesse Sykes & The Sweet Hereafter and others collaborate to form Ensemble Pearl. Cosmic heavy amplified rock drops and ripples, auras radiate and expand into cloud forms, through which lightning bolts. Tides rise, the moons wax upon a place somewhere between Link Wray, Hex-era Earth and early Tangerine Dream.
Fol Chen – The False Alarms CD/LP (Asthmatic Kitty)
The False Alarms continues Fol Chen’s electro-pop odyssey, now with a honed character and a more distinct palette of sounds.
Freefall – Power And Volume CD (Nuclear Blast)
Debut album from the Swedish rockers featuring guitarist Mattias Bärjed (Soundtrack Of Our Lives) and drummer Ludwig Dahlberg (The International Noise Conspiracy). Freefall plays a personally composed “freedom rock” that swings hard with an energetic, authoritarian and uncompromising sound.
The Good the Bad & The Zugly – Anti World Music CD/LP (Fysisk Format)
The debut album by Norwegian scum punk revivalists.
Colleen Green – Sock It To Me CD/LP (Hardly Art)
The constant presence of time-tested four-chord progressions and Green’s faithful drum machine keep Sock It To Me grounded in pure pop, but the breathy, emotive vocals have taken an enormous leap forward, evoking all-time heroes such as Rose Melberg and Tina Weymouth.
Liam Hayes – A Glimpse Inside The Mind Of Charles Swan III CD (Night Fever Music)
Original music from the motion picture A Glimpse Inside The Mind of Charles Swan III by Chicago native, Liam Hayes, who has been making music under the name Plush sine the early ‘90s. Vinyl version due April 16.
Lee Hazlewood – Trouble Is A Lonesome Town [Reissue/1963] CD/2xLP (Light In The Attic)
Expanded reissue of Hazlewood’s debut album in its original mono mix with 15 bonus tracks.
The Heligoats – Back To The Ache CD (Greyday)
Back To The Ache is the latest release from Washington-based singer/songwriter Chris Otepka and his Chicago-based band, The Heligoats. This is the first recording and musical collaboration between Chris Otepka and drummer Nate Lanthrum in the seven years since their time together in Chicago based indie/punk band Troubled Hubble.
Imperium Dekadenz – Meadows Of Nostalgia CD (Season Of Mist)
If you are looking for the soundtrack to a bleak dark day, look no further.
Intronaut – Habitual Levitations CD (Century Media)
Fourth album from the post-metal prog act.
Inter Arma – Sky Burial CD (Relapse)
“A windswept, monolithic beast of apocalyptic Neurosian sludge and lashings of black metal riff storms.” – This Is Not A Scene
Invisible Hands – Invisible Hands CD (Abduction)
Brand new project of Alvarius B. English language vocals edition delivered in AB’s patented sinister style; drenched in lovely psychedelic folk arrangements.
Isengrind/Twinsistermoon/Natural Snow Buildings – The Snowbringer Cult 2xCD (Ba Da Bing!)
Isengrind – The Snowbinger Cult LP (Ba Da Bing!)
TwinSisterMoon – The Snowbringer Cult LP (Ba Da Bing!)
Natural Snow Buildings – The Snowbringer Cult LP (Ba Da Bing!)
Following up on 2012’s fearsome four-LP box set Night Coercion Into The Company Of Witches, Ba Da Bing! presents the second large-scale reissue of another obscurity from French duo Natural Snow Building’s past. Originally released on double-CD by the amazing Students of Decay in 2008, The Snowbringer Cult is a grandiose quadruple-album that combines Mehdi Ameziane’s and Solange Gularte’s solo projects, TwinSisterMoon and Isengrind, on disc one and their collaboration as Natural Snow Buildings on disc two. Each album is also available individually in vinyl.
Jerusalem In My Heart – Mo7it Al-Mo7it CD/LP (Constellation)
JIMH has forged a modern experimental Arabic music that weds melismatic singing in classical Arabic modes to electronic compositions with a punk-rock sensibility.
Julia Kent – Character CD/LP+CD (Leaf)
Opportunities for introspection have come few and far between for Canadian-born, New York City-based cellist Julia Kent. After coming to prominence as a member of the cello-driven group Rasputina in the ’90s, she went on to arrange and play on numerous recordings and tour extensively as a member of Antony and the Johnsons, among other projects.
Krief – Hundred Thousand Pieces CD (Rock Ridge)
New solo album from Montreal-based artist Patrick Krief (longtime guitarist for The Dears). The 10 songs on the album deal with his anxieties about growing older and continuing down the financially precarious road of a professional musician.
Lapalux – Nostalchic CD/LP (Brainfeeder)
Nostalchic is Lapalux’s most focused document to date, adding his beloved R&B and soul into elements of house and hip-hop, all with the trademark Lapalux finish; infectious, lopsided swing and achingly deep texture.
Legz Diamond – 9 Pistolas CD (Psychopathic)
Load your Tommy gun, shine those bucks, adjust the brim of your fedora and prepare yourself for a crime saga like no other in 9 Pistolas, the full-length debut album from Psychopathic Records artist Legz Diamond.
Low – The Invisible Way CD/LP+MP3 (Sub Pop)
On Low’s tenth album, Mimi takes on more vocals and the band employs lots of piano and an acoustic guitar. Still slow, quiet, and sometimes pretty. Recorded with Jeff Tweedy.
Chico Mann – Magical Thinking CD/2xLP (Soundway)
Mann’s fifth album draws as much on ’80s funk, boogie, and electro as merengue and Afrobeat.
Brian McKnight – More Than Words CD (E1)
15th album from the R&B singer/songwriter features the single “Sweeter: as well as a collaboration with Colbie Caillat.
Kacey Musgraves – Same Trailer Different Park CD (Mercury Nashville)
Kacey was born and raised in the small town of Golden, TX, and started performing at opry houses when she was still a child. She started out in Nashville as a demo singer, and quickly earned a publishing deal with Warner/Chappel. She has toured with the likes of Willie Nelson, Alison Krauss, and Lady Antebellum, and her song, “Merry Go ‘Round” was named one of Rolling Stone’s 50 Best Singles of 2012.
Muslimgauze – Satyajit Eye [Reissue/1993] CD (Staalplaat)
Bryn Jones’ 1993 album draws from Indian music for inspiration; but also with breezy, desert-like rhythms and sounds.
Muslimgauze – Al Jar Zia Audio CD (Staaplaat)
Volume 6 in the Muslimgauze archive series.
Nails – Avandon All Life CD (Southern Lord)
New album from the amazing thrash grinders — recommended for fans of Napalm Death.
The Ocean Blue – Ultramarine CD (Korda)
Reunited indie-pop outfit The Ocean Blue — best known for their chiming 1989 debut single “Between Something And Nothing” — release their first new album in 13 years.
Palma Violets – 180 CD/LP+MP3 (Rough Trade)
Primitive, wild rock & roll music offering echoes of ‘60s garage and soul but with a defiant Englishness at its core. The band radiates a ferocious energy, encapsulated in the tense and tactile interplay between Chilli Jesson and Sam Fryer but driven forward by the incessant beat of Will Doyle’s drumming.
Panopticon – Kentucky CD (Handmade Birds)
Panopticon is intensely emotional and atmospheric black metal that transcends the genre
with both boots deeply submerged in the grim aggression that keeps the underground flame burning.
Zeena Parkins – Adorables CD (Cryptogramophone)
New album from the eclectic harpist (Bjork, and the NY downtown scene) mixes lush acoustic orchestration with live electronics, beats, and unusual instruments. Visceral, unearthly, exquisitely rich sounds with drones, crafted sound processing, feedback and the guts of harp strings.
Phosphorescent – Muchacho CD/LP (Dead Oceans)
Muchacho reprises the understated melancholia and sensuous minimalism of Pride, while kicking up a little of Here’s To Taking It Easy’s dust, but it also strikes out into more adventurous waters via rhythm and electronic textures.
Elvis Presley – Aloha From Hawaii Via Satellite: Legacy Edition 2xCD (Sony Legacy)
This set collects 1973’s Aloha From Hawaii Via Satellite and 1988’s The Alternative Aloha, packaged with a booklet featuring rare photos and a new liner notes essay written by BBC presenter, producer and musician Stuart Colman.
Prurient – Through The Window CD/LP (Blackest Ever Black)
Through The Window represents the ultimate expression of Prurient’s affection for European techno forms, and his ability to apply them to his own uniquely lacerating purpose. Unlike his claustrophobic, inward-looking recordings as Vatican Shadow, the album is widescreen, open, and expansive. Nonetheless, the goal is exorcism and self-knowledge, not ecstasy.
Purling Hiss – Water On Mars CD/LP/Cassette (Drag City)
Water On Mars reveals a center to the Hiss maelstrom, with Mike Polizze’s guitars slugging, sizzling and spiraling their way around the rhythm throb, drawing from the wells of the ‘60s, ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s rock to inform their own sound. This is heavy stuff, unknotting the strings that tangled all their previous records together so righteously to reveal another, greater storm within.
Josh Rouse – The Happiness Waltz CD/LP+CD (Yep Roc)
Sonically, The Happiness Waltz takes a trip back into Rouse’s early-2000’s period, a time when so many of his longtime fans really came on board. A number of the new tracks could easily find a home on the AM radio of the late 1970’s, nestled between some of the biggest songs of the day. Lyrically, the album is very much an album in the present, featuring some of Rouse’s most personal songs to date.
Six Feet Under – Unborn CD (Metal Blade)
Tampa, FL’s Six Feet Under has been delivering unapologetic death metal since 1993.
Alice Smith – She CD (Rainwater Recordings)
Smith’s sophomore album and first since her 2007 debut. “Her four octave voice runs and flares and blares and booms and blasts, yet it never feels like she’s over singing. There’s no overuse of melisma, no autotune, no back-up — just Alice in the raw on full blast giving every song her gutsy, soulful all.” – clutchmagonline.com
The Staves – Dead & Born & Grown CD/LP (Atlantic)
The Staves are three sisters from Watford, England who share vocal duties in addition to some contributions on guitar and ukelele.
Marnie Stern – Chronicles Of Marnia CD/LP (Kill Rock Stars)
Stern attacks her musical evolution with full frontal bravado, reveling in musical risk instead of relaxing in the comforts of the known.
Stornoway – Tales From Terra Firma CD/LP (4AD)
Stornoway’s new album is a record of stories birth, death, marriage, coming of age: The Big Stuff. The songs were mostly written in a camper van in land-locked Oxford but on listening, the yearning for adventure and the freedom of the coast and wild places is palpable. As is true of classic songwriting partnerships, lyricist Brian Briggs eloquence coupled with his crystalline voice unite with Jon Ouin’s stunning arrangements and alchemise to form a musical mirror.
Stygian Stride – Stygian Stride CD/LP+MP3 (Thrill Jockey)
Stygian Stride is the solo guise of Jimy SeiTang of Psychic Ills and Rhyton. Gauzy electronic music reminiscent of Gas and the classic era of Mille Plateaux and Chain Reaction, with nods to Manuel Gottsching and Popul Vuh.
Suede – Bloodsports CD (INgrooves)
Suede’s first collection of new material since 2002. Throughout the ’90s, they were one of the biggest and best UK bands to come from the Britpop music scene.
Sun City Girls – Eye Mohini: Sun City Girls Singles 3 CD (Abudction)
Third volume in the series of singles, compilations, and rare tracks, consists of material recorded between the mid-‘80s and early ‘90s. Much of this collection reflects the Arabic guitar instrumental and acoustic pseudo-Asian vocal folk styles of the band from the period when they recorded relentlessly.
Swollen Members – Beautiful Death Machine CD (Suburban Noize)
Swollen Members are back with their eighth studio album, a record that preserves their signature brand of dark, sinister, spell-binding hip-hop.
Justin Timberlake – 20/20 CD/2xLP (Columbia)
Timberlake’s third solo album is the long-awaited follow-up to his album FutureSex/LoveSounds (2006). 20/20 features collaborations with producers Timbaland and Jerome “J-Roc” Harmon as well as a guest appearance from rapper Jay-Z on the album’s first single “Suit & Tie.”
William Tyler – Impossible Truth CD/2xLP+MP3 (Merge)
Rooted in apocalyptic expectation and bittersweet nostalgia, Tyler describes the record as “my ’70s singer/songwriter record; it just doesn’t have any words.”
Various Artists – 20 Jahre Kompakt/Kollektion 1 2xCD (Kompakt)
Two discs jam-packed with floor favorites, towering chart-toppers and secret weapons from the rich history of one of Germany’s most-loved techno labels. Here, Kompakt compiled their proudest moments — classic records that defined their sound today.
Various Artists – Love For Levon: A Benefit To Save The Barn 2xCD (Time Life Entertainment)
Dozens of rock, soul, and country music luminaries gathered at the Meadowlands Arena on October 3, 2012 for an incredible tribute to Levon Helm, The Band’s late drummer/singer/mandolin player who passed away in early 2012. Contributing artists include: Grace Potter, Joan Osborne, Ray LaMontagne, John Mayer, Dierks Bently, Roger Waters, My Morning Jacket, Josh Walsh, Robert Randolph, G.E. Smith, and more. Also available on DVD and Blu-ray in variety of configurations.
Various Artists – The RZA Presents Shaolin Soul Selection: Volume 1 2xCD/3xLP (Soul Temple)
Dug out from the archives of Stax Records, this collection of deep soul has been personally curated by The RZA himself. Containing heavy cuts from such legends as Isaac Hayes, Booker T & The MGs, Albert King, The Emotions, and many more, it’s not hard to see the genius and ideas these songs and artists inspire, and their influence on the very history of The Wu-Tang Clan.
Various Artists – Spring Breakers OST CD (Big Beat)
Soundtrack to Harmony Korine’s 2013 film features Skrillex, Birdy Nam Nam, The Black Keys, Waka Flaka Flame, Gucci Mane, Rick Ross, Nicki Minaj, The Cool Kids, The Weekend, Ellie Goulding as well as an orginal score by Skrillex and Cliff Martinez.
Ben Von Wildenhaus – Great Melodies From Around CD/LP (Molasses Manifesto)
Ben Wildenhaus (Federation X) is a guitar player on par with modern guys like Alan Bishop and Sandy Bull. Drawn to the vast space, windblown grit and non-Western twang of desert guitar/loud music, Wildenhaus has always made good use of tools like a light touch, melody and subtlety in his songs — this is music built around tones, careful dynamics and strange, non-linear melodies, played on guitar with sine wave generator and spare touches on looping pedals.
Thalia Zedek Band – Via CD/LP+MP3 (Thrill Jockey)
The fourth solo album from former Uzi/Live Skull/Come member features some of her noisiest material in some time.
Zeus! – Opera CD/LP (Three One G)
Second effort from crazy prog grinders Zeus!
DVD + Blu-ray:
Miles Davis – Live At Montreux 1991 DVD/Blu-ray (Eagle Vision)
This concert from July 8th, 1991 was the last of Miles Davis many appearances at the Montreux Jazz Festival and took place only a few months before his death. 133 minutes.
O.A.R. – Live On Red Rocks Blu-ray (Wind-Up)
Filmed and recorded live at the iconic Red Rocks Amphitheater on July 15, 2012, Live On Red Rocks captures O.A.R. in their element — performing an inspired and energetic show to a packed house in the middle of summer.
Various Artists – Love For Levon: A Benefit To Save The Barn 2xDVD/2xDVD+2xCD/2xBlu-ray/2xBlu-ray+2xCD (Time Life Entertainment)
Dozens of rock, soul, and country music luminaries gathered at the Meadowlands Arena on October 3, 2012 for an incredible tribute to Levon Helm, The Band’s late drummer/singer/mandolin player who passed away in early 2012. Contributing artists include: Grace Potter, Joan Osborne, Ray LaMontagne, John Mayer, Dierks Bently, Roger Waters, My Morning Jacket, Josh Walsh, Robert Randolph, G.E. Smith, and more.
Vinyl:
100 Flowers – 100 Flowers [Reissue/1983] LP (Superior Viaduct)
100 Flowers (previously known as The Urinals) were a power trio whose sole 1983 album is an enduring document of the Southern California underground. Based in crime-ridden ’80s Los Angeles against the backdrop of juvenile hardcore and vapid hard rock, 100 Flowers crafted a sound that rests between the inspired bursts of The Minutemen and the pastoral jangle of the Dream Syndicate with similarities to the equally oblique Monitor and The Gun Club (who even included a Urinals cover in their set).
Atoms For Peace – Judge Jury And Executioner 12” (XL)
Limited edition 12″ featuring a track from Atoms For Peace debut album and a non-album B-side “S.A.D.” with foil stamped embossed sleeve.
Harold Budd – Bandits Of Stature [2011] 2xLP (Darla)
On Bandits of Stature, the minimalist pianist/composer has created 14 elegantly simple, avant-garde string quartets, each with his own unique and subtle tension and abstraction and sometimes-pastoral but as-often otherworldly mood shining through.
R.L. Burnside – A Bothered Mind [2004] LP (Fat Possum)
First time available on vinyl.
Califone – Heron King Blues [Reissue/2004] LP+MP3 (Thrill Jockey)
Califone’s third album from 2004 is back on vinyl. Combines the bands more pop-oriented qualities alongside their more spaced out ethereal thoughts.
Cannibal Corpse – Tomb Of The Mutilated [Reissue/1992] LP (Metal Blade)
Limited edition picture disc repress of Cannibal Corpse’s third album.
Coathangers/Nu Sensae – Derek’s Song b/w Throw 7”+MP3 (Suicide Squeeze)
Derek’s song” is a party-banger perfectly encapsulating the quartet’s capacity for sharp hooks and jagged instrumentation. On Nu Sensae’s contribution to the split, Brody McKnight unleashes foreboding guitar squalls while bassist/vocalist Andrewa Lukic rages like Kim Gordon at her most incendiary moments and Daniel Pitout beats his drums to a bloody pulp.
Dave Alvin – Ashgrove [2004] 2xLP (Yep Roc)
Alvin’s 2004 debut for Yep Roc is now available on vinyl.
Dead Skeletons – Dead Magick [2011] 2xLP (A. Records)
“From the opening drones, distorted organs and guitars wobbling from the effects of heavy-duty tremolo, ‘Dead Mantra’ is battle of life winning over death and the sonic palette that colours the struggle between fight and surrender is consistent throughout. In the middle of this hypnotic maelstrom come the otherworldly vocals. Bathed in echo and reverb, they attempt to find their way from a spiritual battleground that suggests a strange ambiguity over whether the desire for life can keep mortality away for just that bit longer. “ – thequietus.com. Color vinyl (one disc burgundy, the other blue).
Desecration/Possessed – Possessed/Desecration LP (Foad)
Picture disc gathers Possessed’s Demo 1991 for the very first time on vinyl adding a handful of bonus tracks that were completely unreleased and never heard before. Desecration’s side includes the early demos (“Psycho” and “Cowboys in bondage”) and some unreleased studio outtakes, recorded from 1985 to 1986, all this for the first time on vinyl.
Dinosaur Jr. – Now The Fall 7” (Jagjaguwar)
Two previously unreleased songs recorded during the I Bet On Sky sessions.
Dope Body – Saturday 7” (Drag City)
Refocusing on the sonic principles that they were striving for when they got their tight-ass sloppy shit together in the first place, Dope Body return with a two-song single acting as a snapshot of a band taking care of business in lean, road dog stance, ready to f##k or run, whatever happens first.
Fawn Spots/C#m Stain – Wedding Dress LP+MP3 (Bad Paintings)
Split LP from UK noise-drenched pop band Fawn Spots and California weirdo scuzz renegades C#m Stain.
Bill Fay – Time Of The Last Persecution [Reissue/1971] LP (4 Men With Beards)
HQ-180 vinyl reissue of Fay’s final album for the Deram label. Time Of The Last Persecution is an absolute classic of melancholy (borderline morbid) folk-rock that falls somewhere between Pearls Before Swine, Leonard Cohen, and a suicide prevention hotline.
The Fireworks – The Fireworks EP 7” (Shelflife)
Simple catchy songs with blistering squalls of feedback, sharp chiming guitars, rambunctious drums and bass, and Matthew and Emma’s perfectly matched vocals. A beacon of hope in the saturated sea of “copycat” noise pop groups.
Eddie Gale – Eddie Gale’s Ghetto Music [Reissue/1968] LP (4 Men With Beards)
Eddie Gale – Black Rhythm Happening [Reissue/1969] LP (Four Men With Beards)
HQ-180 vinyl reissues of Gale’s first two Blue Note albums. Both are a blend of funky grooves, a gospel street choir of singers and late ’60s free form freak-outs. Recommended for fans of Sun Ra and Brother Ah, Coltrane’s Love Supreme, and Max Roach’s It’s Time.
Hanni El Khatib – Family b/w Penny 7” (Innovative Leisure)
Two lead singles from the forthcoming sophomore LP, Head In The Dirt (due April 30).
Guided By Voices – Trash Can Full Of Nails b/w Build A Bigger Iceburg 7” (GBV Inc.)
Third single from the forthcoming album English Little League. Its propulsive, off-kilter rhythm underscores the melancholic melody, delivered with characteristic aplomb by songwriter Robert Pollard. Backed with a Tobin Sprout-penned psych-pop song called “Build A Bigger Iceberg,” which is solid advice.
Daniel Higgs – Beyond & Between LP (La Castanya Records)
On Beyond & Between, Higgs (Lungfish) sang and played banjo and was accompanied by Marc Clos at the vibraphone, marimba, flexatone, drum, tamborello, tamtam, gong, tar, bendir, timpani and vocals.
How To Destroy Angels – Welcome To Oblivion 2xLP+CD (Columbia)
Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. New album from the project of Trent Reznor, Mariqueen Maandig (Reznor’s wife), Rob Sheridan, and Atticus Ross.
Jacob Kirkegaard – Conversion LP (Touch)
Two pieces interpreted by classical instruments in collaboration with Danish ensemble Scenatet. Pieces include: “Church” from 4 Rooms and “Labyrinthitis” from Labyrinthitis.
Krallice – Years Past Matter [2012] 2xLP+MP3 (Gilead Media)
Fourth studio album from one of America’s best avant-garde black metal bands.
LCD Soundsystem – Yeah [Reissue/2004] 12” (DFA)
Originally released in 2004 on the heels of the massively successful singles “Losing My Edge” and “Give It Up,” LCD Soundsystem’s “Yeah” is a choice dance-rocker with everything one expects from the DFA hit factory—infectious baselines, killer disco beats and percussion, disaffected vocals and burning keyboards. Back in print on vinyl.
Las Ardillas – Linda Nina 7” (Slovenly)
Las Ardillas features members of Davila 666. There’s a powerful undertow of nostalgia to their late ‘70s punk, proto-punk, and powerpop inspired songs. The lyrics soaked in classically unquiet desperation combined with full-throated vocal harmonies and darkly hooky choruses tap into everything that’s been making teenagers around the world fall in love with punk for a long time.
Los Vigilantes – Mi Siento Azul 7” (Slovenly)
Three new sides from these Puerto Rican rock & rollers. “Mi Siento Azul” is a pure panty wetting pop scorcher with the sweetest vocals you’ll ever hear from a pack of crusty Caribbean street rats. The flip side features the band cranking out a two minute juvenile delinquent punk rock workout.
Melt Yourself Down – Fix My Life 12” (Leaf)
Melt Yourself Down is a London supergroup of sorts, led by Acoustic Ladyland’s Pete Wareham (also a member of Polar Bear), alongside vocalist Kushal Gaya (Zun Zun Egui), Shabaka Hutchings (Sons Of Kemet, Heliocentrics), Tom Skinner (Hello Skinny, Mulatu Astatke), Ruth Goller (Acoustic Ladyland) and Satin Singh (Fela!, Transglobal Underground), and produced by Leafcutter John (Polar Bear).
Merzbow + Oren Ambarchi – Cat’s Squirrel LP (Black Truffle)
Live recording of performance in Campbelltown, Australia in May 2012. A massive wall of sound that moves from the cavernous to the blisteringly psychedelic, laying down shifting low-end structures over which pointillist details ricochet across the stereo field.
Fred Neil – Fred Neil [Reissue/1966] LP (4 Men With Beards)
Fred Neil – Sessions [Reissue/1967] LP (4 Men With Beards)
Fred Neil – The Other Side Of This Life [Reissue/1971] LP (4 Men With Beards)
HQ-180 vinyl reissues from the American folk music legend. Although the long, meandering, raga influenced Sessions is a bit perplexing at first, its rewards increase with each subsequent listening session. An under-rated LP from one of American folk’s finest voices. The Others Side features a side of live recordings of some of his most lasting and well-known compositions as well as a side of studio sessions featuring Les McCann and Gram Parsons. May not be his most memorable album but it’s still head and shoulders above most other singer/songwriter material of the era.
Obits – Refund b/w Suez Canal 7” (La Castanya Records)
Originally released on the Spanish label La Castanya to coincide with the band’s recent Spanish tour, this new Obits single features two excellent new songs, “Refund” and “Suez Canal,” available exactly nowhere else.
Om – Addis Dubplate 12” (Drag City)
First of two dub-inspired remix 12″’s.
Tijuana Panthers – Tony’s Song b/w One Way Ticket 7” (Innovative Leisure)
Tijuana Panthers fuse simple mid-‘60s rock & roll with the ‘80s gritty punk output that made the Long Beach area legend. Backed with a cover of the Nerves “One Way Ticket.”
Carmen Villain – Sleeper LP (Smalltown Supersound)
Released last week on CD – now available on vinyl. Let’s get this out of the way first — Carmen Villain used to be a very successful model. Her face has appeared on the covers of Vogue and Nylon, and high profile cosmetic ad campaigns. It turns out Carmen Hillestad (Carmen Villain) has been a spy in the house of fashion. Behind the scenes, she was channeling her frustrations into a set of songs with a defiantly DIY underground free-rock sound. Now she’s stepping off the glossy page and emerging as a major new songwriting voice and multi-instrumentalist. With acid in her airbrush, she reminds us of This Heat, Bikini Kill, Sonic Youth, Royal Trux.
Vulgar Fashion – Vulgar Fashion LP (Handmade Birds)
Visceral-dark-analogue-night pop duo from Denton, TX.
Wampire – The Hearse b/w Das Modell 7”+MP3 (Polyvinyl)
“The Hearse” is a preview of Wampire’s debut full-length, Curiosity (due May 14). B-side is a cover of Kraftwerk’s “Das Modell.” Purple vinyl.
Why? – Waterlines b/w The Water You Walk 7” (Anticon)
Limited edition tour 7” single featuring an unreleased B-side.
Witch – Lazy Bones [Reissue/1975] LP (Now Again)
Witch – Lukombo Vibes [Reissue/1976] LP (Now Again)
Archival reissues of garage-psych-funk Zamrock masterpieces.
Youthbitch – I’m In Love With Girls 7” (Dirtnap)
Portland, OR based four pieces that draws comparisons to the Exploding Hearts and deserves a vaunted spot next to Gentleman Jesse’s self-titled debut in taxonomies of contemporary classics. Wired-up geeky garage/pop jams.
Frank Zappa – Finer Moments 2xLP (Zappa)
Released late last year on CD, this set of live recordings form the Mothers Of Invention recorded between 1967-1972 is now available on vinyl.
Cassette:
Raleigh Moncrief – Dusted (Anticon)
In the wake of his acclaimed debut LP Watered Lawn, Sacramento producer Raleigh Moncrief continues his unpredictable journey through unexplored aural territories. As both a solo artist and behind-the-scenes support—most notably with the Dirty Projectors and fellow Sacramentan Zach Hill—Moncrief has displayed rare comfort in a variety of genres, possessing an uncanny ability to pair the familiar with the unfamiliar.
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